


i'll take care of you (again and again)

by pshooyeop (choucobos)



Category: UP10TION
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Assassination Plot(s), BS'd politics, M/M, Minor Violence, Politics, Romance, Slow Burn, advisor wooseok, but like, less like assassination more like severely harm, prince hwanhee
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-05
Updated: 2019-09-05
Packaged: 2020-11-01 22:18:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20525807
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/choucobos/pseuds/pshooyeop
Summary: in which wooseok is the royal advisor to the king and the bright, bubbly prince hwanhee is visiting on political affairs.





	i'll take care of you (again and again)

There is a prince who wanders the hallways of the castle carefreely, without regard for his appearance or the fact that he doesn’t live there. He strolls through the gardens as if he doesn’t visit every day, he walks into the kitchens with his eyes on the freshly baked goods, and he sneaks into the stables to see the horses and chat with the stablehands.

Unfortunately, it is Wooseok’s job to track him down and drag him back to a place where he is _supposed_ to be.

He supposes he can’t really fault Prince Hwanhee for being restless while in the castle. He was in the kingdom for political business, and surprisingly, he handled it well enough—when he was there, that is. But Prince Hwanhee was a naturally curious soul and he insisted that he _had_ to explore the entirety of the kingdom’s grand capital.

Wooseok has no idea why he was in charge of supervising the young prince in the first place. Prince Hwanhee came with a number of personal servants (a number that Wooseok thought was excessive, really) and his own guard. He figured that if King Jinwook wanted someone from his kingdom to keep an eye on him, he’d assign one of the knights—imagine his surprise when the king personally asked Wooseok to keep an eye over him.

“I need to be by your side in order to—”

“To counsel me whenever I need it, I know, Wooseok,” Jinwook said kindly. Wooseok’s eyebrows knit together. “You are my most trusted advisor, and I’m grateful for everything you do. But trust me when I say I want to keep a careful watch over the prince.”

“And when you need me?” Wooseok persisted, arguing mostly for the sake of it. Jinwook smiled, a tired, but fond smile.

“I’m sure you’ll be around when I _do_ need you. I just need you to take care of him.”

Jinwook heaved a long sigh, and Wooseok saw with his own eyes the burden of such a heavy crown on his head.

“This is the first time the Lee Kingdom has reached out to us, Wooseok. For once, they seem cooperative, for the most part. I won’t say they’re benevolent, but they sent the crown prince here to on political affairs. I want to make sure things go right. It’s not that I don’t trust Hwanhee, but I want to make sure that this won’t hurt anyone.”

Wooseok nodded solemnly. He understands, of course. He’s known Jinwook for most of his years and knew that he wouldn’t be king if not for his compassion, even if he was sometimes foolish about it

(In Wooseok’s own opinion, there was something suspicious about the Lee Kingdom’s sudden appearance, extending an olive branch to the Kim Kingdom. He wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but the Lee Kingdom…

It boasted righteousness in every breath, and assured competency in its people. It bragged about being generous and how other kingdoms were fortunate to be aligned with it. It was blatant arrogance more than it was integrity. But Jinwook was king and his word was final. Wooseok was merely his advisor. He could counsel his king, but not when he stubbornly made up his mind.)

Prince Hwanhee didn’t seem all too bothered by the fact that he was essentially being babysat by King Jinwook’s advisor. He was the first person that Hwanhee would see, and without fail, he would greet Wooseok with a smile and ask him what places in the kingdom were of interest. Wooseok would remind him that there were discussions to be held that day and Hwanhee would pout, but accept his fate.

“There’s nothing wrong with all these political talks,” he says carefully, “but I’d much rather explore more of this kingdom. It’s nicer— it’s so nice here.”

Wooseok notices the slip up. He doesn’t comment on it and makes a note to ask one of the knights if there was anything going on in the city today.

He knows Hwanhee is treated well here. In fact, Jinwook makes sure of it. Wooseok isn’t one to go against his wishes, no matter how familiar he is with him, so he follows orders to treat him well. It’s a little irritating sometimes, with the prince getting sidetracked at almost every sight.

“It’s almost nightfall, Your Highness,” Wooseok mentions one evening as they walk through the city. Hwanhee immediately sends him a sour look, mostly directed to the prospect of going back to the castle rather than to Wooseok.

“It feels like we just got here,” he whines. “I always want to see more of the kingdom, but I never get far enough.

“It’s a large city,” Wooseok says, making sure to keep the irritation out of his voice. “Visiting all the areas of attraction in one day would be difficult.”

“Exactly! But I’ve been here for almost two weeks and it feels like I haven’t seen even half of this place! It really is incredible here!”

There’s a wistful look in his eyes that Wooseok can’t explain. He looks at the city with his own eyes and doesn’t see anything but the place he’s lived in for all his life. He doesn’t see anything past the crowds of people in the dwindling market or the taverns that gather more and more people as the day begins to wane. It’s all so familiar that he could probably predict the routine that the city followed come nighttime. He knows this city, knows it like the back of his hand. He’s seen the gorgeous attractions, but also the darker, dingier areas. He knows the alleys and the roads, and maybe a person or two. It’s home, but he can’t see anything past the things he knows so well. What’s so incredible about it?

“I’m sure the capital of the Lee Kingdom is much nicer,” he offers, not sure what else to say. To his surprise, Hwanhee frowns instead. The wistful look in his eyes disappears and a stormy one replaces it.

“It’s okay,” he replies, voice lacking inflection. His response puzzles Wooseok.

It’s quiet between them for a moment as Wooseok contemplates how to answer. He’s not sure why Hwanhee looked so sullen. If anything, wouldn’t he be the type to go on and on about his own home? Even as Wooseok thinks about it now, he realizes that during his stay, Hwanhee hadn’t said a word about what the Lee Kingdom was like.

“That’s about the same way I feel about this city, Your Highness,” he lets himself admit. Hwanhee glances at Wooseok and suddenly that stormy look is gone. In its stead is a laugh spilling from the grin on his lips.

“I guess when you know your home so well, then you can’t really see anything special about it,” Hwanhee says. There must be something more to that, something that he isn’t saying, but he doesn’t say anything else.

He takes hold of Wooseok’s wrist and drags him away. The action causes Wooseok to let out a sound of surprise.

“Your Highness—”

“Nightfall is approaching, I know. I get it! But we’ll be back at the castle before midnight, it’s fine! There are still hours left in the day to explore. The sun hasn’t even gone down yet! I’m tired of being confined to a castle!”

Wooseok gives Hwanhee a pointed look, but no longer protests. He glances behind him to find that the guard who is assigned follow them is lost in the crowd. This brings a frown to his face, but Hwanhee has already brought him to a market stall selling hand-woven bracelets. There isn’t anything special about them, and one could even say they were a little tacky. But Hwanhee looked at them with wonder sparkling in his eyes and an ever-present grin on his lips.

In the end, Hwanhee purchases two bracelets from the vendor. He wears a red and black one on his own wrist and insists on Wooseok wearing a yellow and blue one on his own. Begrudgingly, he slips the bracelet on, cheeks warming up in embarrassment. Still, the elation on Hwanhee’s face was endearing—he briefly considered _not_ throwing it out later.

He decides that Hwanhee is hard to understand. He is sunny and bright in one moment and sensitive and gloomy in the next. It’s tedious to try and keep up with him, and Wooseok almost wants to hand him over to a different person so he can deal with more important tasks. But he won’t disobey an order from the king, so he continues to keep an eye on the prince.

True to his word, Hwanhee allows Wooseok to bring them back to the castle before midnight, having found their lost guard along the way. As they walk, Hwanhee’s smile diminishes little by little until it’s nothing but a ghost on his lips, worn by the fatigue of all he’d done that day. Wooseok figures he was tired—after all, he’d gone farther into the city than he did before. He escorts Hwanhee back to his room, making sure he doesn’t nod off on his feet and getting him to bed. It’s not work that Wooseok should’ve done. Hwanhee had his many personal servants to take care of him. Still...

Wooseok extinguishes the lights in Hwanhee’s room before he leaves. As confusing as Prince Hwanhee is, there’s something about him that makes it hard to leave him alone.

(The hand-woven bracelet goes to his dresser, looking startlingly out of place among the actual jewelry he owned. The next morning, he looks at it for all of ten seconds before slipping it into his pockets. Just in case the prince wondered where it was.)

As the days of Prince Hwanhee’s visit grows fewer and fewer, he begins to grow gloomy. He fidgets in meetings until Jinwook takes pity on him ends them early. Whenever he can’t leave the castle, he spends most of his time looking longingly outside the windows and avoiding his retainers. Wooseok almost wants to sneak him out into the gardens for a breather.

“You’ve noticed it as well,” Jinwook mentions it to him. Wooseok steals a glance to the young prince, whose gaze reaches past the windows, past gardens that they overlook, and past the city they live in.

“He enjoys being free to wander,” Wooseok says carefully.

“I wonder if freedom is a luxury if he craves it this much,” Jinwook remarks. Wooseok frowns at the implications of Jinwook’s statement, but the king doesn’t elaborate.

That day’s meeting ends early. It’s not like the discussions were of import like they were when Hwanhee first arrived, so Wooseok figures that Jinwook can afford to cut them short. Hwanhee all but runs out of the room. Jinwook doesn’t sigh, but he makes the movements of doing one. Wooseok purses his lips and quickly follows after the prince.

He finds Hwanhee in the gardens, looking scarily calm among the carefully cultivated plants. His eyes are closed and he’s completely still. He breathes slowly, as if he’s trying to take in as much air as possible. Wooseok can’t understand him at all.

He looks out of place, yet at the same time, he looks like shouldn’t be anywhere else. His dark clothes, native of his kingdom, stand out among the light colors of flowers and plants. When he opens his eyes, there’s a faint look of distress that Wooseok can’t explain.

“...Your Highness,” he speaks up. Hwanhee turns so fast that he’s worried he might’ve snapped his own neck.

“Oh,” the prince breathes, “it’s you.”

He doesn’t sound disappointed. Wooseok almost imagines he sounds relieved, but he dismisses those thoughts.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine,” comes the short answer. Wooseok frowns.

“Are these meetings _that_ stifling, Your Highness? I know they don’t exactly pertain to the business you had originally visited for…”

Hwanhee waves him off. “The meetings are fine. I suggested to attend the meetings in the first place, anyway. I’ll have meetings of my own in the future with my own kingdoms’ vassals, so I might as well learn firsthand.”

“With all due respect, it seemed like you wanted to be anywhere except the meeting,” Wooseok muses. Hwanhee gives him a wry smile.

“I’ve just… been indoors for too long. You know I get restless. I can’t help it.”

Wooseok nods. And then he chooses his next words carefully.

“There’s still plenty of time to go into the city, Your Highness.”

The city is bustling as usual, especially as the sun hangs high overhead. Beside him, Hwanhee finishes a pastry from the kitchens while watching the children on the streets play.

“What are we doing today?” He asks giddily, unable to contain his excitement. Wooseok refrains from rolling his eyes (and conjuring an image of the prince as a puppy in his mind).

“Occasionally, there are small celebrations held in the city. There’s no real reason other than the people enjoy merriment, especially when the work on the fields is particularly difficult. So as long as the people are not too unruly, the kingdom allows it,” he explains.

“That sounds like fun!” Hwanhee exclaims. “I want to see it! When does it start?”

“They usually begin in the evenings, after the farmers return from their work. There are more things to see until then. If there is any place you would like to revisit, we can stop by.”

Hwanhee shakes his head, still smiling. He seems content to wander the streets, waving to children and occasionally joining in their play. The familiar feeling of impatience bubbles up in Wooseok’s gut when the prince gets sidetracked for the fifth time that day.

“Your Highness,” he calls sharply. Hwanhee turns to him with a strange look on his face. Obediently, he hurries back to Wooseok’s side, giving the lady at the market stall an apologetic look.

“Are you sure there isn’t a specific place you’d rather go to, Your Highness—”

“I have a request,” Hwanhee interrupts him. Wooseok almost levels him with a look reserved for Jinwook and some knights, one that expressed his displeasure at being interrupted. But he inclines his head and allows Hwanhee to voice his request.

“For one day,” he says quietly, “could you not refer to me as ‘Your Highness’? Just for today… could you allow me to be Hwanhee?”

Wooseok is stunned. It’s a request unheard of, and frankly makes him uncomfortable. How could he refer to the prince as anything else? Calling him informally would be disrespectful. Wooseok might have been easygoing with King Jinwook or other lords, but at least he still referred to them respectfully.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Hwanhee asks when he doesn’t answer. “I’m sorry I ever asked. Never mind then. Let’s keep going.”

He acts strangely today. It leaves Wooseok more and more perplexed, with questions he doesn’t have answers to. He makes a mental note to bring it up to Jinwook later.

In the end, they walk aimlessly around the city for the most part. Hwanhee’s favorite places are the markets, so he frequents the areas, charmed by the items being sold. He doesn’t buy anything today, which Wooseok is grateful for—more often than not, he was the one left to carry the items he purchased.

As evening falls, the people begin to gather around the central part of the city. Lanterns illuminate the darkening streets, but if it was dark, it didn’t feel like it. Wooseok sees for the first time in a while how the people of the kingdom come together warmly, lighting up even the darkest hour of the night.

He doesn’t get out of the castle much. Not when there’s work to be done advising the king. The few times he does go out, it’s when he stands next to Jinwook during kingdom-wide festivities. The last time he’d truly been out was before he entered the castle, before his true identity as the previous advisor’s son was revealed. Before, he’d been living in the city with his mother, not so well off, but stable enough to live comfortably. He wandered the streets much like he did now, and doing so brought up memories he hadn’t realized he’d forgotten. It’s almost comforting whenever he went out with Hwanhee, he realizes.

But his mother revealed the truth to him when he turns ten—he is the son of a lord, specifically the one who stood by the former king as his advisor. He was brought to the city to live a regular life, but ultimately, he chose to return to his father and take up his position in his stead by proving his political aptitude.

Wooseok gets so lost in his thoughts of the past that he misses Hwanhee slipping away to admire the people dancing to the music. He notices too late that the prince isn’t by his side. Almost immediately, panic rises to his throat. He searches wildly for him, berating himself for letting the prince out of his sight. Who knew if he was in danger, or if he was lost, or—

A hand grips his elbow. He spins around to give the person who dared touch him a piece of his mind. The words get stuck in his throat and the scowl falls from his face when he sees it’s Hwanhee, unscathed and holding—of all things—food.

“Hwanhee,” he breathes, relieved. His shoulders practically melt as the tension leaves them. Hwanhee grins with a familiar tinge of smugness on the corners of his eyes.

“Did I scare you? Did you miss me?” He teases him. Blood rushes to Wooseok’s cheeks, warming his skin. Thank goodness the lanterns could only provide so much light. He stands straight again, as if that moment of panic and fear hadn’t occurred at all.

“Please don’t leave my side without notifying me, Your Highness,” he scolds sharply. The nerve of him! Teasing him so shamelessly! It didn’t matter if he was lecturing a prince—it was unbecoming of him to be so brazen!

“You’re back to calling me that?” Hwanhee asks, head cocked to the side. “You were doing so well! You called me by my name!”

“_Hwanhee_.” He scathingly bites out, annoyance getting the best of him. The prince laughs long and loud, ringing above the sounds of merriment. It’s the only thing Wooseok hears.

“Come on, have some! An old lady just gave it to me, saying I was handsome! I told her I wasn’t, that my companion was even more handsome. She just gave me another portion and told me to give it to you!” He laughs. Wooseok’s cheeks burn with embarrassment, but he takes the food from him anyway, enjoying how the flavors melted on his tongue. Hwanhee seems to like his own portion, loudly praising the food of the Kim Kingdom.

The evening continued on, with the sun dipping beneath the horizon and the bright moon keeping watch overhead. They are given food and drinks (which Wooseok politely declines for the both of them) by generous people. They watch performances by dancers, by musicians, and by particularly talented commoners. It’s a warm scene, one that Wooseok becomes more and more familiar with as memories of his old life return to him. He wouldn’t trade his current life for anything, but the nostalgia that comes with remembering his childhood is like a warm blanket that covers him.

He steals a glance towards Hwanhee, who is fixated on watching people dance together. He seems to enjoy the festivities as well. Turning back to the scene in front of them, he huffs, satisfied. It seemed that whatever was bothering him today, whatever was making him act so strange had finally been put out of his mind.

A soft hand wraps around his wrist. He turns back to Hwanhee with furrowed brows, but he doesn’t get a chance to question his actions. Instead, Hwanhee drags him out to where all the people are dancing.

“Hwanhee,” he hisses, “don’t get in the way!”

“We won’t get in the way if we dance, too!” The prince only responds with a grin. Astonished, Wooseok can only allow himself to be pulled this way and that by the prince who dances clumsily.

“Your dancing is atrocious,” Wooseok points out. Hwanhee pouts.

“It is not! I just have trouble following the rhythm!”

“Then follow my lead. I know these songs better than you do.”

Hwanhee grins and doesn’t question him.

By the time three songs have passed, Wooseok is winded. He hasn’t danced this much in so long; most of the dances at formal events were slower and more refined.

Hwanhee is also breathless, but that doesn’t stop him from expressing his joy through laughter. They slink into a deserted alley, a bit farther from the festivities, exhausted and sweaty. It’s cooler in the dimness of the night and the separation from the crowds. Wooseok and Hwanhee fit into an alcove in the alley to catch their breath.

“That was fun! You really showed me how to dance!” Hwanhee says cheerfully. “But tell me, Wooseok, how do you know these dances so well? I thought you only knew the fancy ones in balls.”

“I lived here in the city for a certain amount of time,” he finds himself saying. “It’s like second nature.”

“Aren’t you of noble birth?” Hwanhee asks, taking a sip of a drink handed to him earlier. He looks weary. The dancing must have really taken his energy.

“I am. But my father wanted me to live the life of a commoner. I chose to go with him to live as a noble. I wanted to be of better use than just being a merchant or a worker. Being advisor seemed the next best option, so I worked hard to study politics.”

“Ambitious,” Hwanhee replies slyly.

“Maybe.”

They remain quiet for a while, trying to get their heart rates back to normal. Hwanhee continues to sip at his drink. Wooseok watches him carefully out of the corner of his eye.

Finally, Hwanhee opens his mouth to speak again.

“I don’t get why you would want to live as a noble. It’s so _stifling_. So annoying. All of my servants and retainers hover over me like I can’t do anything on my own. Like I can’t be _trusted_ to do things on my own.” Hwanhee takes another sip of his drink. His brows knit together as he goes on.

“I _hate_ it,” he suddenly spits out, voice filled with vitriol. “I hate being a prince.”

Wooseok goes silent out of shock. When Hwanhee doesn’t hear a response, he just takes a swig of the drink in his hands. It occurs to Wooseok that he doesn’t even know when he got it or who he got it from.

“Who gave you that drink?” Wooseok demands suddenly. He snatches it from Hwanhee’s hands and checks the contents of the cup, but the alley is too dark to confirm what the liquid is. Hwanhee shakes his head, but looks to the entrance of the alley, to a young man handing out drinks.

Scowling, Wooseok grabs Hwanhee’s wrist. The prince follows without hesitation, expression going sullen. Wooseok diverts his attention to the young man handing out drinks and stalks over to him.

“What are you handing out?” He asks angrily, gesturing to the cup still in his hand.

“Drinks, sir, just drinks!” The young man jovially replies. It only makes Wooseok’s irritation worsen.

“What _kind_ of drinks?” He persists. The young man looks nervous then.

“Water, sir! I promise it’s just water! You can have a taste of your own and find that it really is just water!”

“How can I trust you—”

“Wooseok.”

Hwanhee’s fingers tug at his sleeves. His head leans against his shoulder. He looks exhausted. He looks frustrated. He looks… sad.

“It’s okay. It’s just water and I’m just tired. Today was long.”

Wooseok inspects the cup in his hand once more before huffing. He shoves the cup back into the young man’s hand and leads Hwanhee away, through the streets and away from the festivities.

“Where are we going?” Hwanhee asks, tugging at Wooseok’s sleeve again. A frown is etched on his features and Wooseok finds that he wants to see him smiling and laughing again. His look of exhaustion didn’t look like it was just from dancing or drinking anymore.

“We’re going back to the castle,” he answers, voice clipped. Hwanhee’s mouth twists.

“I don’t want to go back.”

“We must, Your Highness. It’s getting late.”

“I don’t want to go back...”

Wooseok isn’t sure if he’s talking about the castle anymore.

He doesn’t answer. Instead, he leads Hwanhee back to the castle, gentler this time. Before they enter the gates, he speaks up again.

“Wooseok… are you mad?”

The question makes his throat tight. He struggles to swallow before answering, “No, Hwanhee. I’m not mad at you.”

The prince doesn’t say anything else. They enter the castle and he walks himself to his room. Wooseok stands alone for what feels like hours before heading off. He’s not sure where he goes, but somehow, he finds Jinwook, still awake and looking over some papers that Wooseok doesn’t recall seeing.

“I heard you went to the city with Prince Hwanhee today,” he says. Wooseok doesn’t answer.

“Are you alright?” Jinwook asks, concerned. He’s not sure how to answer. He feels frustrated for the most part, but not exactly because of Hwanhee. He knows he should tell Jinwook everything he’s said and it would be _fine_ because he’s doing it out of a place of concern. But he sees the pitiful look on Hwanhee in the back of his head and he can’t do it. He witnessed a moment of weakness for the prince. Now it just felt like something he shouldn’t have seen. Even if the drink in the cup was just water, Wooseok couldn’t fathom how Hwanhee could trust him with such a vulnerable side.

“I’m worried,” he admits, “if the Lee Kingdom is as good as it boasts it is.”

Jinwook doesn’t respond to Wooseok’s honest admission. He looks troubled, but he doesn’t agree nor dispute. They stay like that in silence until Wooseok leaves to retire to his own quarters.

Wooseok wakes up fatigued. There’s an ache in his legs from walking and dancing. He ignores it and gets ready for the day. The blue and yellow woven bracelet sits on his dresser and appears as if it stares back. Wordlessly, he slips it around his wrist, but covers it with his sleeve.

Days continue to pass. Neither of them talk about what happened on that particular night.

Things go mostly as they did before. Wooseok still sticks around the prince dutifully, either showing him around the city or keeping him company in the castle. They spent most of their time together and Wooseok came to learn Hwanhee’s little quirks.

Wooseok was not one to listen to gossip. But Prince Hwanhee’s expression would change the slightest bit whenever he heard something the servants said, and then Wooseok couldn’t help but listen to what bothered him.

“Prince Hwanhee is so carefree, you can almost believe he’s not being forced to improve relations between our kingdom and his.”

“Well, I’d rather he behaves. It’s not my place to say so, but if he could stay still, then maybe we can prevent an all-out war between the two kingdoms.”

“That is true… It makes you wonder if he’s taking his position seriously at all.”

“Perhaps he was spoiled.”

“Are you kidding? Haven’t you heard anything about the Lee Kingdom? I heard that even if you’re there for a few seconds, it feels as if a guard will pounce on you for breathing wrong! It’s quite oppressive there—I can’t imagine Prince Hwanhee being spoiled if the king is the same as how he rules.”

“Isn’t that hearsay? The Lee Kingdom is so obscure when it comes to what really goes on there. That’s enough to generate all types of rumors, don’t you think?”

“I suppose you’re right. It was quite the surprise when they announced that Prince Hwanhee would be arriving to discuss the relations between us and the Lee Kingdom.”

“Don’t remind me. It was such short notice!”

“You’d think that the servants that came with him would do some work around here, too, but they don’t do anything! Instead, they prowl around!”

“Why are there so many of them, anyway? I understand he has his retainers, but that’s far too many servants necessary and none of them do any actual work…”

“The work they leave for us… And it’s practically all for nothing, with Prince Hwanhee doing whatever he wants, as if he lives here.”

“Not so loud…”

The servants catch Wooseok’s icy stare as they pass by him and Prince Hwanhee himself. They freeze and stumble over themselves to bow towards them.

“Is your workload as heavy as you complain it is, or are you saying so just to gripe about our guest?” Wooseok asks coldly. The servants flinch.

“Wooseok…” Hwanhee says, frowning.

“If you have the time and effort to gossip, then perhaps I should inform His Majesty…”

“We are incredibly sorry!” One servant blurts out, bowing towards Hwanhee again. He fidgets uncomfortably.

“Go back to work,” Wooseok snaps. The servants scurry off out of their sight and he feels his headache is only alleviated slightly.

“It’s fine,” Hwanhee sighs, “you really didn’t need to tell them off.”

“Of course I had to,” he huffs. “Gossip never brings anything good. They could be working, but instead they chose to chatter aimlessly about nothing. Of course that needs to be corrected. Did you think I scolded them for your sake?”

Hwanhee pouts for a moment before his lips form a grin. “I did, I did! I thought for a second that you cared about me, Wooseok!”

Wooseok rolls his eyes and turns away, resenting the way heat crawled up his neck.

“Anyway, I know my visit has been out of the ordinary. It must have been hard on everyone in the castle. I’ll have to talk to my father about thanking King Jinwook for his hospitality,” Hwanhee breezily says.

“I can hardly call gossiping servants as acceptable hospitality.”

“Oh, when it goes on for a while, you get used to it!”

Hwanhee slaps a hand over his mouth, eyes widening. Wooseok’s frown grows deeper.

“What do you mean ‘goes on for a while’? How long exactly is a ‘a while’?”

“Pretend I never said that! Really, it’s no big deal. Being here has been enjoyable…!”

“_Hwanhee_.”

“Don’t worry about it,” he insists, placing a hand on Wooseok’s arm. “I don’t care. I’m going home soon anyway. It’s alright!”

Wooseok fixes him with a stern look. “Hwanhee. Our servants must not get used to being allowed to gossip while esteemed guests are around. Even if you can tolerate it, it doesn’t mean it’s acceptable.”

His expression softens as he lets himself be openly concerned about the prince. “Besides, I don’t think it’s as alright as you say it is.”

Hwanhee winces. He trains his gaze on the ground, brows furrowed.

“I’m going home soon anyway,” he repeats. Wooseok knows he’s not as happy about it as he appears. But Hwanhee never explicitly explained anything and Wooseok won’t make him.

“That’s a shame,” he responds. “We haven’t even seen the entire kingdom yet.”

(The smile Hwanhee gives him after that reply is almost worth all the trouble he goes through later, scolding the servants for their gossiping. _Almost_.)

The rest of Hwanhee’s visit goes by uneventfully. However, as the days go by and the day of his departure comes nearer, the prince becomes more and more tense. Wooseok does his best to remedy it by excusing him from meetings earlier (and _insisting_ to Jinwook that it is because he is less help to the discussion when he is fidgeting in his seat and saying nothing) and recommending points of interest in the city for him to explore (with a trusted knight). Unfortunately, due to his own responsibilities that had been pushed back because of his duty to watch over Hwanhee, Wooseok couldn’t always make it. Hwanhee waved him off, said it was fine, and assured him that Lee Dongyeol was a fine guard who did his job extremely well—possibly even better than Wooseok.

(And that was _fine_. In fact, that was _good_. Lee Dongyeol was a good knight and Wooseok knew this himself because he knew Dongyeol. He was _not_ upset and he definitely did _not_ sulk over his paperwork, no matter _what_ Jinwook said.)

But there were a few days where Wooseok dismissed his own duties in order to walk into the city with the prince. Many people had grown used to seeing the pair by now and some even greeted them. Hwanhee would return the greeting with a wave of his hand a flash of his bright smile. Wooseok knew the people were relatively harmless, but he still couldn’t help but distrust maintain his distrusting front.

“I’m going to miss this place,” Hwanhee sighs as they make the return trip back to the castle.

“Relations between the Lee Kingdom and the Kim Kingdom have been improved thanks to your help. I’m sure visits will be allowed,” Wooseok says. Hwanhee laughs without mirth in his voice and Wooseok takes a glance at him, frowning.

“I’m not so sure about that,” Hwanhee replies. His voice is so soft that Wooseok can barely hear him. “My father is strict.”

Wooseok isn’t sure how to answer that. The stormy look is back in his eyes and he wants to ask him if things are _truly_ alright. If living in the Lee Kingdom is safe or comfortable for him. But he’s not sure if Hwanhee can or will answer truthfully.

“Thank you,” the prince suddenly says.

“For what?” He asks. Hwanhee’s cheeks darken and he refuses to meet Wooseok’s eyes.

“Do I really have to say why? Can’t I just say thanks?” Hwanhee whines, lightly shoving Wooseok’s arm. He huffs and—in a moment of allowing himself familiarity with the prince—shoves him right back. Hwanhee lights up at the action and begins to laugh—genuinely this time.

“You shoved me!”

“And you won’t tell a soul.”

“I’m telling everyone! King Jinwook especially!”

“Who will believe you?”

“Everyone! Surely they’ll believe the prince!”

“Then I’m telling everyone that you couldn’t explain why you wanted to thank me.”

“Are you serious?! How am I supposed to tell you without feeling embarrassed?!”

“Say it honestly!”

“Thank you, Wooseok!” The advisor stops walking and faces the prince, who is pink with embarrassment and pouting with the petulance of a spoiled child.

“For what?” He asks again.

“For”—Hwanhee huffs in frustration— “for tolerating me! For letting me do whatever and go wherever. For taking care of me. For… for being there for me.”

He grows shyer with every word until he’s mumbling the last word with embarrassment. Triumph blooms in Wooseok’s chest for having teased him successfully (and something else that he won’t openly admit to, as well).

“I suppose it wasn’t _too_ unpleasant,” he replies, mostly teasing him still, but also with a fraction of honesty. As he’d grown accustomed to Hwanhee’s presence, he’d found that he hadn’t minded being around him as much as he was in the beginning.

“You’re the worst!” Hwanhee complains, voice growing loud again. Wooseok laughs, lifting his hand to his mouth and covering it. Hwanhee’s gaze becomes fixed on his wrist.

“You’re wearing it,” he points out. Wooseok glances at his wrist and finds that his sleeve slipped down a little to reveal the tacky blue and yellow bracelet.

“Oh,” he says, as if just realizing it. And then he fibs. “I decided to wear it, just in case one of the servants cleaning my room mistook it for garbage.”

“It’s not garbage! It looks charming!”

“Charming? I wonder what the rest of your accessories look like…”

“Ah! You really are the worst!”

The following day was the day of Prince Hwanhee’s departure.

Wooseok awoke with a growing sense of dread in his gut. He lays in bed for a few moments, letting the realization that the prince he’d grown fond of is leaving today. He also comes to the realization that he’d grown _this_ fond of Hwanhee—if you told him he’d feel this way three weeks ago, Wooseok would have certainly laughed.

His heart continues to sink at the thought of Hwanhee leaving. He’s loath to admit it, but… he’d miss the high-spirited prince being around. And still, there are concerns that Wooseok held for him.

Hwanhee dropped all sorts of hints during their time together. Wooseok would have loved to put together the pieces, but there weren’t enough to work with. He needed to know more about Hwanhee’s situation, but there wasn’t much other information and Hwanhee himself didn’t seem to be able to tell him more past his hints. It frustrated him knowing that Hwanhee could be quietly suffering—it was unlike him. The prince suffered _loudly_. He complained and whined often about the most frivolous things, yet never about his own circumstances.

Wooseok goes through his daily routine while mulling over it. Absentmindedly, he slips the blue and yellow bracelet on his left wrist, already missing the prince despite him not having left yet.

The morning went too fast for his own liking. Hwanhee seemed listless during breakfast, but Wooseok couldn’t pull him aside and speak with him. There were many preparations to be had (none of which he was in charge of, thankfully). Unfortunately, only a few of Hwanhee’s servants were keen to help out and do actual work. It grated on Wooseok’s nerves, but he dared not to voice his irritation.

For the most part, Hwanhee hung back in his guest quarters quietly and out of everyone’s way. Wooseok was reminded of the way he only left his room after Jinwook explicitly told him he was free to wander the castle and the kingdom if he so wished. Hwanhee had seemed so withdrawn and hesitant three weeks ago.

But he started to warm up to the kingdom, take a liking to his surroundings. He became more and more comfortable expressing himself.

Now, only hours before he was to depart, it seemed like all of Hwanhee’s vitality and comfort diminished. He was withdrawn again and it pained Wooseok to see.

“Wooseok,” Jinwook greets him when he enters his study, “there’s a matter of importance that needs to be discussed.”

“The servant told me as much,” he replied smoothly, frowning. What could possibly be so imperative that it required their attention before Prince Hwanhee was to leave?

“I’ve been monitoring those servants who came with Prince Hwanhee,” Jinwook says carefully, quietly. “I’ve discovered that there has been correspondence between some of the servants and people in the Lee Kingdom, sent by themselves rather than with our messengers.”

“Correspondence?” What did servants need to send out letters for? If they wanted to communicate with people back in the Lee Kingdom, they were welcome to. However, most messages and letters were sent all at once. Why were these messages sent separately?

Jinwook nods gravely. “I never read any of them myself, but I’m worried. I fear they’re planning something. Many of the people I’ve sent to keep an eye on these servants report that they appear to be scoping out the castle and mapping it out.”

Wooseok frowns. He knew he and Jinwook were speculating the same things—the servants sent with Hwanhee were sent to spy on them. However, without solid evidence, they couldn’t say anything. Still, it was incredibly worrying that the Lee Kingdom could have been planning something against them all this time. His stomach churns to think that Hwanhee was also in on it…

Suddenly, he feels sick. He’d been showing Hwanhee around the kingdom and its capital city this entire time.

Rapid knocks come from the door. Jinwook and Wooseok frown at each other for a moment.

“Come in,” Jinwook calls.

A knight stumbles in, urgency in his voice. “Your Majesty! Prince Hwanhee has run off!”

Wooseok’s blood runs cold.

He runs all over the castle, searching for the missing prince. The knight had explained to him that they were loading his belongings onto his carriage. He appeared distressed to be around his retainers and servants. Finally, before someone could call King Jinwook and Wooseok to send them off, he’d disappeared when no one was looking.

A million thoughts ran through Wooseok’s head and he wasn’t sure what to make of anything. His mind ran wild with assumptions, but all he wanted to do was find Hwanhee.

“His quarters are empty, sir,” a servant informs him when he gets back from the gardens. He holds back from mumbling a swear. Hwanhee wasn’t in the gardens either.

He frowns to himself before making preparations to go out. He instructs the servant sternly, “Keep an eye on the entrance of the castle. If any of his servants go in or out, inform His Majesty _immediately_. Do not hesitate. I will go out into the city with a guard.”

“The city is large, sir. Why are you only searching with me? Should you not call for the soldiers to do a full search?” Dongyeol asks.

“Are you questioning me?” Wooseok snaps, nerves at an all-time high.

“Well. Yes, I’m doing that,” Dongyeol replies innocently. Wooseok gives him a murderous glare before moving on from the area they were just searching.

“Please trust me on this. I don’t need an entire battalion tearing the city apart. Just you will suffice,” he huffs out. Dongyeol is quiet and obediently follows him for a moment before speaking again.

“Do you think His Highness is alright?”

Wooseok worries on his bottom lip with his teeth.

“I hope so.”

They continue to search the city streets together. It takes long and Wooseok almost wonders if Hwanhee was on the move if he was this difficult to track. He’d begun to regret his decision of only bringing Dongyeol when a thought occurred to him.

He spins on his heel and rushes back to the place where the city held festivities only nights ago. The setting sun is still hot on his neck as he goes, almost running towards the remote alcove he’d been in with Hwanhee many nights ago. It was in an empty alley, still deserted save for the sound of sniffling.

“Hwanhee?” He calls out cautiously. The sniffles abruptly stop.

“W-Wooseok?” Hwanhee croaks out. Wooseok swallows hard before turning into the alcove, finding Hwanhee sitting on the dirty ground with a tear-streaked face. He glances at the ground briefly, pursing his lips, before kneeling down in front of the prince.

“Hwanhee,” he murmurs, “why did you run away?”

“I— I just…”

Hwanhee’s face scrunches up again. Before he can cry, Wooseok wraps his arms around his shoulders, partly to comfort him, but also because he wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing him cry.

“I didn’t want to go back,” he whispers shakily. His breaths come out in short huffs and Wooseok pulls off to look at him in the eyes.

“I don’t want to go back,” he repeats, fat tears rolling over his cheeks. Each one Wooseok wipes away is a stab to his heart.

“I _like_ it here. I don’t get scolded for existing. I’m not given lectures on how I need to bring the Lee Kingdom glory by crushing others in my way. I-I’m not lonely here, I can go places. I’m not _imprisoned_. I don’t want to go back.”

His voice turns desperate as he clutches onto Wooseok’s sleeves. Wooseok only wipes his tears away and grasps his upper arms to steady him.

Hwanhee’s feelings made things much more complicated. The Kim Kingdom couldn’t just _keep_ Prince Hwanhee—that would surely aggravate the Lee Kingdom or give them an excuse to point fingers at the Kim Kingdom. However, it appeared that the Lee Kingdom was cruel to their own crown prince. He _trembled_ in Wooseok’s arms at the thought of returning to his home. Wooseok wanted nothing more than to hold him until he felt safe again, until he didn’t tremble anymore.

“We will figure it out,” he says. “We will figure it out together. I promise. Right now, we must return to the castle.”

“I-I’m sorry,” Hwanhee says. “I must have thrown the castle into chaos by running off so suddenly. I just— I just saw the carriage and all the retainers who’d probably report my behavior these past couple of weeks to my father and—”

“It’s alright. It’s fine. Take as long as you need. I’ve got you now, it’s alright.”

Wooseok glances behind him to where Dongyeol stood watch.

“Go back to the castle and inform everyone that His Highness has been found.”

“And leave you here?”

“It’s fine. We’ll be fine.”

(He’s not actually sure how true that statement is. Sure, he had a sword, but it was mostly decorative and he’s used it very little. He figured he ought to try lest anyone even _think_ to attack them.)

Dongyeol leaves and Wooseok stays with his arms around Hwanhee a little longer. He seems to appreciate the proximity, curling into Wooseok and clutching onto him tightly.

Before long, Hwanhee lets out a soft sigh and loosens his grip on Wooseok’s clothes.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

“What for?” Wooseok asks, gingerly wiping his face with his thumbs. “Don’t apologize. There's no need.”

“But I’ve caused you trouble…”

“Yes, you certainly have”—Hwanhee gives him a helpless and apologetic look—“but if it’s you, it’s alright. I don’t mind.”

Hwanhee goes quiet at that. Wooseok takes the opportunity to stand and help him up. As soon as he’s standing, Wooseok makes sure to hold him close and support him in case he fell.

“Everything alright?” He asks softly. Hwanhee nods.

They step out of the alcove and into the alley. Just as they take a few steps towards the main streets, someone else steps into the dim alley. Wooseok squints to try and make out who it was.

“Huh? It’s you...” Hwanhee says, blinking. He seemed to recognize who it was, and judging from the unease in his voice, it wasn’t someone he was expecting. Wooseok, on the other hand, could recognize the clothes, but not the face. The person wore clothes of the Kim Kingdom servants.

“Who are you?” Wooseok calls to the person. He only laughs in response.

“His Majesty will be pleased to hear we have a better scapegoat than just a servant,” the person sneers. He draws a sword from his sheath, alarming Wooseok and Hwanhee. Wooseok immediately ushers Hwanhee behind him, but the prince pushes forward to stand to the left of him. He places his hand on the hilt of his sword, staying alert for the person’s next movements.

“What are you talking about? What scapegoat?” Hwanhee demands.

“You don’t need to ask questions, Your Highness. Just play the part,” the person says. He lunges towards Hwanhee and before Wooseok can think, he pushes Hwanhee back with his left arm, stepping back as well. The sword catches his hand and wrist and slices his skin and sleeve. Something drops to the floor and he finds the blue and yellow bracelet on the ground, cut by the sword.

“Wooseok!” Hwanhee cries out, scrambling back up from falling after Wooseok pushed him.

“Stay back,” he barks, holding his arm close to him. That certainly wasn’t his smartest decision—he was left-handed. Even if he had a sword, the pain from his wound would have him disarmed almost immediately.

“What are you doing?” Hwanhee demands from the servant(?). “How dare you attack me? Do you think His Majesty would allow this to happen?”

“Oh, Your Highness,” the man simpers. “Who do you think ordered this to happen?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Wooseok sees Hwanhee stiffen. He keeps his glare fixed on the person before them.

“My… father ordered you to attack me?”

“And it would’ve gone to plan if _he_”—the person jerks his head towards Wooseok—“hadn’t gotten in the way. If you play along, this will bring glory to the Lee Kingdom!”

“What?” Hwanhee is dumbfounded. The person rushes forward again. Gritting his teeth, Wooseok unsheathes his sword and parries the strike with both hands on the hilt of his sword. It falls out of his hand and clatters to the floor. Wooseok clutches at his left arm. With the person thrown off guard, he ignores the pain reaching up his entire arm if only to protect Hwanhee.

“Wooseok!” Hwanhee cries out.

“Stay back!” He calls behind him.

Before the man can regain his composure, he kicks the man back as hard as he can. Wooseok stumbles backwards from his own momentum. Hwanhee catches him just before he falls.

“Wooseok!”

Hwanhee’s panicked face enters his field of vision, but Wooseok is focused on the man. He’s not sure how he could keep defending Hwanhee without his dominant hand. Even now, as the man staggers back up, he dreads to think about Hwanhee getting hurt.

“You need to stay back. You can’t get hurt.”

“If you keep fighting, my father can still turn this around on you,” Hwanhee says, shaking his head. “We need to run!”

“We can’t run if we can’t get past him!”

“I don’t have an injury and I can wield a sword alright. When I push him back, we run for it, okay?”

Wooseok’s head spins from blood loss and action. He’s an advisor, not a goddamn tactician! All he can think about is how Hwanhee is right—if they keep fighting, then he can be accused of starting a fight against someone from the Lee Kingdom. But—

He helplessly searches Hwanhee’s determined face as he unsheathes his own sword.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” he says, grabbing Hwanhee’s wrist.

“Wooseok—”

“Here! They’re right here!”

Wooseok and Hwanhee look to the entrance of the alley to find Dongyeol and a number of guards. They immediately restrain the person who has begun to run towards them again and surround Wooseok and Hwanhee to assist them.

“I’m sorry I took so long, sir! I saw one of our servants head for your direction, which I thought was really strange, so I gathered some patrolling guards and came back here,” Dongyeol explains to Wooseok.

“He’s hurt!” Hwanhee says, gesturing to the blood coming from the gash in his arm. Dongyeol sputters and panics and orders the guards to escort Wooseok and Hwanhee back to the castle. Someone slings his left arm over their shoulder, but Wooseok can only pay attention to how Hwanhee sticks close to him.

The walk back to the castle is difficult with Wooseok growing dizzy from blood loss. He doesn’t remember half of it, only recalling the way Hwanhee would worriedly glance at him and his wrist every so often. It made him want to place an arm on his shoulder and assure him he was alright, but with how close Hwanhee had been keeping to him, he figured he got enough blood on the prince.

Wooseok was immediately sent to the medics in the castle to be treated. He wasn’t quite sure what happened afterwards, but he drifted off quickly when he was laid on a bed. When he awoke, his arm was treated and bandaged and Hwanhee sat by his bed, dozing in his chair.

Wooseok doesn’t move, doesn’t make a sound. He examines the way Hwanhee’s mouth falls open slightly as he sleeps. He looks peaceful, even in such an uncomfortable position.

The events before return to him and Wooseok swallows carefully. What had happened after he fell unconscious? Why was Hwanhee still here? Of course, he wouldn’t want to go back to the Lee Kingdom, but that surely meant complications between the Kim Kingdom and the Lee Kingdom. That meant Wooseok had work to do, things to discuss with Jinwook. He needed to see the doctor and inquire when he could leave. There was a mess he needed to help fix and a prince he needed to protect.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Wooseok turns to the voice that entered. Jinwook steps towards his bed and Wooseok sits up, jerking his head towards Hwanhee, still asleep. _Be quiet please_.

Jinwook smiles in understanding and nods.

He stands by Wooseok’s bed and asks, “How do you feel?”

Wooseok thinks about it for a moment. His right arm aches painfully, but otherwise he’s fine. He didn’t get hurt otherwise. He was mostly irritated that he got hurt in the first place. The entire situation was idiotic—how could the Lee Kingdom be so arrogant as to try and instigate conflict with the Kim Kingdom?

“Annoyed,” he decides to say. Jinwook huffs amusedly.

“Only _you_ would be annoyed by an injury.”

“I’m not annoyed by the injury. I’m annoyed with the situation.”

Jinwook sighs. “I understand. It _is_ troublesome. I didn’t expect the Lee Kingdom to be so shameless, and I certainly must admit the plan was unexpected. I wholeheartedly believed that Prince Hwanhee was here to improve relations between our kingdoms.”

Wooseok instinctively glares at the slight against Hwanhee. Remembering who he was speaking to, however, he smoothed out his expression, settling for a frown. “Hwanhee didn’t do anything wrong. He wasn’t expecting this at all.”

“I know,” Jinwook assures him. “He told me as much. I believed him.”

Wooseok heaves a sigh, letting his shoulders relaxed. What was he getting so defensive against his king for, anyway?

“What happened while I was asleep?” He chooses to ask.

Jinwook relayed the events of the previous day to him. After he was sent to be treated, Hwanhee took initiative and questioned his retainers and his servants, accompanied by Dongyeol and other knights from the Kim Kingdom. They were unwilling to answer at first. One even dared to taunt the prince, which made Wooseok’s blood boil just hearing about it.

Hwanhee had threatened to inform his father of their incompetence, which seemed to do the trick. They told the truth: his father had sent Lee Kingdom knights dressed as servants with Hwanhee. During his stay at the Kim Kingdom, they had planned to severely harm him while dressed as a servant of the Kims. The Lee Kingdom would accuse the Kim Kingdom for attacking the prince and rally the other kingdoms against it.

However, a complication had come up: Hwanhee was always in the company of King Jinwook’s royal advisor. Thus, letters were sent back and forth to consult the king of the Lee Kingdom. The knight assigned to harm Hwanhee was instructed to catch Hwanhee as soon as he was alone. Of course, this didn’t occur until Hwanhee ran off on the last day of his stay. However, Wooseok followed him out, which was fortunate for the Lee Kingdom—rather than framing a servant from the Kim Kingdom, they could just frame the royal advisor himself.

“I must commend you for causing them trouble,” Jinwook jokes. Wooseok gives him a stern look. Was it really something to joke about? If it wasn’t about him, he’d laugh, but this _was_ about him!

“Well, anyway, Prince Hwanhee told me what he’d learned. I’ve been discussing with the others what to do, but we haven’t come to a conclusion yet,” Jinwook says. Wooseok nods.

“Where’s the doctor? I need to know when I can get back on my feet.” Wooseok asks. Jinwook nods and turns to get the doctor, but pauses, looking across his bed.

“You should rest more,” comes Hwanhee’s drowsy voice.

Wooseok turns his head and softens at the sight of Hwanhee. He looks tired, but he looks intently at Wooseok.

“If anything, you’re the one who needs more rest,” he says. “I’ve rested enough. I need to assist His Majesty.”

“I can’t rest now,” Hwanhee insists. “These are my father’s actions and I don’t agree with them.”

“Well, this is hardly the place for political discussion,” Jinwook mentions. Hwanhee turns to look at him as if he’d just realized he was there. He stands abruptly, bowing.

“There’s no need for formalities right now,” Jinwook chides. “You’re right—we do need to talk about what will happen between the two kingdoms. But for now, you require proper rest and so does Wooseok. I’ll get the doctor and a servant to escort you to your quarters—”

“No!” Hwanhee blurts out. He turns pink, mortified at his own outburst.

“No?” Jinwook repeats.

“I— Um— If it’s alright, I’d— I’d rather stay here with…” Hwanhee trails off. Wooseok’s cheeks warm up at the endearing sight of Hwanhee being bashful.

Jinwook smiles knowingly. “Alright. But the both of you make sure you get proper rest after Wooseok talks with the doctor, alright? We can begin discussions later in the day.”

Hwanhee nods stiffly and bows again as Jinwook leaves. He sits back down in his seat, exhaling.

“Are you… how do you feel?” Hwanhee asks, hesitant. Wooseok tries to give him a reassuring smile.

“I’m alright. Honest,” he says, and he means it. The pain is a drawback, sure, but it won’t last forever (hopefully). He can bear it for now.

“I just— I’m sorry,” Hwanhee says, head hanging low. “You got hurt trying to protect me. I caused nothing but trouble and pain for you yesterday. I ran away and made you look for me. I put you in danger…”

“Listen to me,” Wooseok interjects firmly. “There are some things you can’t control. For those unpredictable, inexplicable things that occur, you can’t blame yourself for that. No matter what, your father’s men would have probably tried to put their plan into motion. Even if you were guarded by us at all times, we could be accused of not trusting you. It’s clear that your father had many contingency plans and had no qualms about making more.”

“I’m glad we all know he’s awful now,” Hwanhee whispers, sighing again. Wooseok frowns.

“Come here,” he says, sitting up straighter in his bed and beckoning Hwanhee closer. Confused, Hwanhee tilts his head, but complies. He draws his seat closer to Wooseok’s bed.

Wooseok reaches over with his uninjured hand and cups Hwanhee’s cheek. Stunned, Hwanhee remains silent and wide-eyed at Wooseok’s surprisingly affectionate action.

“Additionally, I searched for you because I wanted to know if you were alright,” he honestly says. “I protected you because I wanted to. I didn’t want to see you hurt. It’d incriminate the kingdom further, for one, but… I’d rather be the one harmed than you.”

Hwanhee’s eyes turn glassy and red. Wooseok frowns.

Before he can speak again, before he can tell him not to cry, Hwanhee grabs his wrist and pulls something from his pocket. He slips his hand into Wooseok’s bashfully, fitting something into his hand. When Hwanhee pulls his hand away, Wooseok finds the blue and yellow bracelet that was cut from his wrist yesterday.

“Hwanhee…”

Before he can continue and say something potentially embarrassing, the doctor strides in. Hwanhee backs his chair away swiftly, leaving both the prince and the advisor red with embarrassment.

The doctor doesn’t tell Wooseok much. The gash was deep, but not so that it endangered his arm or his life. He required stitches and medicine, which he was instructed to return daily for, as well as a change of bandages. He was strictly told not to write and strain his arm so as to not aggravate the injury—any more and he might actually endanger it for real.

A servant is called to escort Prince Hwanhee and Wooseok back to their respective rooms with instructions to rest until King Jinwook needed them to discuss their next plan of action. With the comfort of his own bed and the knowledge that Hwanhee was safe and would stay that way, Wooseok drifts off into a dreamless sleep.

The meeting held between the King Jinwook, Prince Hwanhee, and the lords of the Kim Kingdom, including Wooseok, went considerably well.

It dragged on for a long time, with Hwanhee confessing to all the things that his father did—to him and to other kingdoms. Suffice to say, the Lee Kingdom and its king was not popular among the discussion.

Hwanhee looked shaken during the meeting. While the other lords engaged in heated conversation about the king of the Lee Kingdom, he appeared as if he’d let a huge weight off his shoulders and he could let himself express just how tired he’d been after holding onto it for so long. Wooseok wanted nothing more than to sit by him and commend him for his strength. He wanted to hold him close and comfort him, tell him he did well. But as the discussion went on, all Wooseok could do was send him supportive glances from across the table, and small, secretive smiles.

The meeting ended just shy of nightfall. Hwanhee rushed out of the meeting room like usual. Wooseok followed after him, like usual.

They ended up in the gardens, with lanterns lighting up their path and knights guarding the way. The stars glittered brightly above them and it was almost as if nothing was wrong. If Wooseok focused only on the stars above him and Hwanhee’s warmth next to him, he could pretend that everything was alright. That it was just him and Hwanhee in the world right now.

They stand like that, side by side. They stood under the shifting night sky—a reminder that even if they had their own struggles, the world continued moving.

“I’m scared,” Hwanhee finally whispers.

“Of what?” Wooseok asks.

“Of going back home. Of facing my father and making him admit all that he’s done. Of dealing with everything he’s done so far.”

Hwanhee’s hand brushes against his uninjured hand.

“Of leaving you.”

Wooseok’s throat tightens.

Tomorrow, Hwanhee would _really_ leave. He’d return to the Lee Kingdom and face his father, the king. With the support of the Kim Kingdom, Hwanhee would expose to the world all that the king had done, not only to the kingdoms around it, but to his own son. He’d be alone in his own kingdom, save for the few he knew he could trust.

Wooseok couldn’t go with him. He was the royal advisor to King Jinwook—he couldn’t go anywhere.

It goes unspoken that Wooseok and Hwanhee weren’t sure if they’d see each other again soon. Hwanhee would certainly be busy for a long time.

“You have the Kim Kingdom’s support and sympathy,” he says sincerely. “And mine as well.”

Hwanhee gives him a grin. It holds little mirth, but the amusement is still there. “Is your support better than the King Jinwook’s?”

Wooseok’s heart _lurches_ with an urge to do something. With his left hand, he takes Hwanhee’s hand and turns to face him before lifting his hand to his lips and pressing a kiss to his knuckles.

“To you, I should hope so,” he says. He smiles affectionately as Hwanhee sputters and stumbles over his words for a solid minute.

When he _finally_ recovers, he gives Wooseok that familiar, petulant pout that he likes so much.

“It is,” he admits. “It _is_ better. Your support is more meaningful to me.”

“As it should be,” Wooseok affirms. Hwanhee pouts again and huffs.

They grow quiet again, but not uncomfortably so. For the most part, Hwanhee admires what the stars look like from the region of the Kim Kingdom and Wooseok admires how the lights of the lanterns make shadows dance on Hwanhee’s face. Their hands remain clasped between them.

“As scared as I am,” Hwanhee says, “I think I’m ready. To face my dad, that is.”

He pauses before looking down at the ground. “I hate him. He was awful to me. He— He planned to hurt me just to make our kingdom successful. I could’ve—”

“But you didn’t,” Wooseok interrupts, running his thumb over Hwanhee’s knuckles. Hwanhee sighs.

“I didn’t. I’m here. And I can do it. I can overthrow my own father and fix everything I hate about my kingdom,” he says.

He turns to Wooseok with a shaky smile, filled with equal parts anxiety and hope.

“Maybe I can bring all the things I like about the Kim Kingdom back home,” he says with an innocent smile.

“You’d like to bring me home?” Wooseok boldly asks, an idea forming in his head.

“What?!” Hwanhee’s voice goes an octave higher as he registers Wooseok’s words and his own. His cheeks turn bright red and he’s rendered completely speechless. Wooseok can’t help but laugh and squeeze his hand.

“How dare you tease the crown prince of the Lee Kingdom! I-I’m ascending to the throne soon! I have full confidence that I will do that! S-So you should be showing more respect for me! Don’t—Don’t tease me! You’re the worst, Wooseok!”

Wooseok would take him seriously if he wasn’t whining. He only smiles warmly at Hwanhee and revels in the moment they share.

The following morning, Prince Hwanhee and his retainers and servants—all guilty of having plotted against their own prince—set off to return to the Lee Kingdom to make things right. If all things went well, there would be no war between the Lee Kingdom and the Kim Kingdom, or any other kingdom, for that matter. Prince Hwanhee would be safe and would ascend to the position of king.

For now, all that was left for the Kim Kingdom to do was wait and provide support to the prince.

(And if the kingdom wouldn’t do it, then Wooseok will do it himself.)

Life goes relatively back to normal in the castle. Wooseok goes back to his regular duties, though he occasionally catches himself on his way to the guest quarters in the morning or the garden after a meeting. He greedily reads every update from the Lee Kingdom and worries for Hwanhee’s safety. At night, he’ll admire the tacky, yellow and blue bracelet, still torn.

His injury heals relatively fine, as well. There is an ache in his arm every so often, but it’s not something he can’t live with. (So as long as Hwanhee was safe, he was alright with lingering pain.)

Soon a year passes, and then some. News arrives that Lee Hwanhee would be ascending to the throne and taking initiative to foster better relations with other kingdoms, starting with the Kim Kingdom. King Jinwook penned him a letter, assuring that King Hwanhee had his support.

(If he noticed that Wooseok slipped in a letter of his own to the messenger, Jinwook certainly took care not to mention it.)

Another month passes and Wooseok figures he’s done enough to be satisfied with the work he contributed to the Kim Kingdom, his home. He’s still fairly young, but he resigns from his position as royal advisor and even relinquishes his title as lord, much to the surprise of the other lords.

Wooseok pays as little attention to comments about his decision as he can. It was something he struggled to come to terms with, after all. He enjoyed his position as advisor and loved working for the Kim Kingdom. But he knew he had different aspirations now. Jinwook was merciful enough to allow it to pass.

“You’re sure about this, right?” Jinwook asks one more time. “You know I’ll miss you around here.”

“I’m sure,” he confirms, packing his belongings. “Don’t try to change my mind now, Your Majesty.”

“I’m not! You know what you want, Wooseok. Who would I be to get in the way of that? I just ask that you take care of him.”

Wooseok smiles faintly and nods. Jinwook gives him a smile in return, resigned to the fact that his closest confidant and best advisor would be leaving.

Wooseok wouldn’t dare to forget his home in the Kim Kingdom. He’d spent years working to contribute something to it. It’d be difficult to forget the place he came from.

But as he entered the Lee Kingdom, as his carriage made a stop in front of the castle where his loved one would soon be ruling completely, he thought to himself, _it’s not so bad to make a home here_.

To the surprise of many, the crown prince comes to greet his carriage personally. There’s a look of awe on his face as he takes in Wooseok’s appearance, eyes glittering with unbridled joy. There’s a huge, dopey smile on his lips, as if he can’t help but smile when he sees him. Wooseok finds that it’s a struggle to keep his emotions in check as well.

“You’re here,” Hwanhee breathes.

“I am,” he confirms, stepping down from his carriage.

“I just received King Jinwook’s letter this morning— I couldn’t— I _really_ couldn’t believe what he’d written,” Hwanhee rambles. “He said you’d be coming, that you’d be arriving soon and you’d be _staying_. I was so confused because I didn’t read the rest of the letter, I was so— You’re— You’re _here_.”

Wooseok lets out a laugh. “Just in time for your coronation in three weeks.”

“My— Who cares about that! Cancel the entire thing! I just want to spend the rest of my time with you!”

“Quiet,” he reflexively chides him, placing a hand on Hwanhee’s shoulder sternly. The prince only grins and reaches up to place his hand over Wooseok’s. He glances down and finds that it’s Wooseok’s left hand holding him. Peeking out from under his sleeve is a still-healing, pink scar. His face falls slightly.

“Don’t mind the scar,” Wooseok says dismissively. “It’s fine. It’s healed.”

“Is your arm alright?”

“Hurts every now and then, but I can live with it.” _I can live with it so as long as you’re here with me_.

Hwanhee’s lips tremble and his eyes grow watery. Wooseok huffs and gently taps him on his head. Suddenly, Hwanhee wraps his arms around his torso, hugging him tightly. He’s close to Wooseok’s height, so his head rests on his shoulder. Wooseok gently returns the embrace, finding that Hwanhee was quite comfortable to hold.

“I missed you,” Hwanhee says, sincerity clear in his voice.

“I missed you, as well, _Your Majesty_,” he returns, compulsively teasing him. Hwanhee pouts and pulls away from the tight hug, but remains close enough to still be in Wooseok’s arms.

“I’m not the king yet! My coronation is in three weeks! Really, you’ve just arrived and the first thing you do is tease me! You really _are_ the worst, Wooseok!”

Wooseok smiles and slips his hand into Hwanhee’s. “Then you have three weeks left of just being Hwanhee. I think that’s enough time to show me around your kingdom, isn’t it?”

The prince fights the smile that begins to form on his face. Soon, he can’t help it and begins to grin again, squeezing Wooseok’s hand gently. “Since you’re here, we have all the time in the world to explore the kingdom together. I figure I should return the favor of showing you around my home, right?”

Glancing around them briefly, Wooseok presses a chaste kiss to Hwanhee’s cheek. “I look forward to the rest of my time spent with you, Hwanhee."

**Author's Note:**

> i started this almost 5 days ago and didn't stop. i have no idea what came over me, but i churned this entire thing out just to get it out of my head. at least that's _one_ fic out of my drafts !  
anyway, i had this idea quite some time ago and imagined it to have a darker plot and set in a more modern time, but i left the idea alone and only picked it back up recently. decided to go a different direction with it and i'm pleased with the outcome.  
thank you for reading !!  
find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/951111_com) !!


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